2014 Proved the Future of Sprint Car Racing is in Good Hands
When the 2014 Sprint Car season kicked off down in Florida everyone knew that Steve Kinser would be retiring as a full-time Sprint Car driver delivering some sort of blow to the fan base of the Sprint Car community. Since then Sammy Swindell has also hung his helmet dealing another blow to the Sprint Car community. Fast forward 9 months and those fans that were looking for a new hero to follow may have found what they are looking for. While no one will ever be able to compare to King Kinser or Slammin’ Sammy’s record book careers, the future of Sprint Car racing appears to be very bright indeed and over the course of this article I’m going to highlight four drivers that you will hopefully be hearing a lot about for years and years to come.
A few short weeks ago when the World of Outlaw STP Sprint Car Series invaded the Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA for the $50,000 to win Williams Grove National Open, the best David Gravel had ever finished there was a fourth in The Morgan Cup Feature there back in May. He would better that by three come A-Main time on Saturday night in a controversial finish where he would tangle with Stevie Smith with just a few laps to go. Gravel who wasn’t a full time competitor on the World of Outlaws Tour this season until a call from legendary car owner Dennis Roth came in late April after Tim Kaeding vacated the seat, had bounced around a few different rides during the past few seasons. Gravel had finally found himself in a secure ride. They would win their first weekend out together at the Eldora Speedway and since then picked up four more A-Main Feature Event wins and countless Top-5’s. Even with missing a good amount of races at the beginning of the season Gravel has raced his way up to 10th in the season long point standings. Gravel will remain in the Roth Motorsports 83 for the 2015 World of Outlaws campaign.
Let’s shift gears from David Gravel, who shoes the well backed Roth Motorsports 83, to Logan Schuchart who drives for his grandfather, Sprint Car Legend Bobby Allen on a shoe string budget as they criss-cross through the United States and Canada chasing Rookie of the Year honors with the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars. Schuchart coming off of a five win season on the rough and tumble Pennsylvania Sprint Car scene is taking on racing with the best Sprint Car drivers in the world. He hasn’t exactly had the best of seasons out on the road but considering their budget and their equipment compared to the likes of teams owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, Logan has nothing to hang his head about after recording five Top-5 Finishes and fifteen Top-10 finishes, numerous hard charger awards, and one quick time award. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that if someone came along with funding or stepped up and provided Logan with a ride with pristine equipment, that the sky is the limit for the 21 year old from Hanover, PA.
We enter PA Posse Country where there are two drivers that certainly caught everyone’s attention in 2014, with one of them having a very famous name in the Sprint Car world. When Fred Rahmer decided to call it a career he announced that his two sons Brandon and Freddie Jr. would carry on the family name in Central Pennsylvania. While getting off to a slow start missing a few shows at the beginning of the year, Freddie Jr.’s season turned around in May at the Lincoln Speedway where he was able to qualify for his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car feature while a lot of heavy hitters loaded on the trailer to watch. Under the tutelage of veteran driver Stevie Smith, Freddie Jr. who carries the number 51 that his father used in the latter stages of his career, showed his maturity beyond his 18 years by coming home with not only multiple top five finishes at the Lincoln Speedway but also winning his heat and coming home with a fifth place finish at The Jersey Rush IV at the New Egypt Speedway in August. Not only is Freddie a force to be reckoned with behind the wheel, he is also a very talented crew chief who wrenches on his own car as the night progresses. It’s very rare these days where you can find a driver twisting and turning wrenches on his own car. With Freddie Jr.’s success in 2014, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll be hearing the name Rahmer for many years to come.
Finally there’s the young man from Kunkletown, PA, Ryan Smith. Smith a graduate of the Micro-Sprint ranks whose family also owns S&S Speedways, an indoor karting facility in the Poconos, started his 410 Sprint Car career off in 2012 driving as a teammate to the legendary Don Kreitz Jr. Later Ryan ventured out during the 2013 season teaming up to drive Rob Warko’s fluorescent yellow 94 not only in Central Pennsylvania but at pretty much any race track they can tow to within reason. Ryan has been known to be very versatile competing in not only Midgets, Micro Sprints and Sprint Cars, but also indoors and on asphalt as well. Ryan would come home seventh in the season long standings at the Williams Grove Speedway. Over the course of the season Ryan would pick up a win in the Jersey Rush IV at the New Egypt Speedway and also this past weekend picked up his first career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win at the Port Royal Speedway.
There is much, much more talent that is being developed in the world of Sprint Car racing these days all over the world. But after watching these guys and girls all season long, these are the four that stuck out to me more than anyone else. Which leads to my next question. Who do you think has the brightest future coming up through the Sprint Car ranks? Tell us over on the RacersGuide.com Discussion Forum! For questions, comments or concerns I can be emailed at racersguide@gmail.com or I’m on Twitter @PMacDonald51 Thanks!
